In 2021, over 18% of workplace fatalities in California were due to an unintentional overdose.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Safety Council is elated that opioid overdose reversal medication will be stocked and training on how to administer it will soon be provided in California workplaces, thanks to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) granting our petition proposing the requirement. Nationally, overdoses account for nearly 1 in 10 worker deaths on the job and have increased by more than 600% since 2011. In 2021, over 18% of workplace fatalities in California were due to an unintentional overdose.
Following these data and knowing no industry or occupation is immune to the opioid crisis, NSC has been actively advocating for naloxone availability and access in all U.S. workplaces – including those in California. NSC firmly believes the inclusion of this opioid overdose reversal medication and training requirement in Cal/OSHA’s Code of Regulations will help the state combat the opioid crisis by ensuring worksites are appropriately ready to respond in case of an emergency.
Providing lifesaving training to workers creates not only safer workplaces but also safer communities, as these individuals carry their training with them wherever they go and because overdoses can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. With the granting of this petition, there is no doubt workplaces, communities and homes across California will become safer. As America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate, we look forward to continuing to serve as a trusted partner to state government agencies such as Cal/OSHA and urge workplaces across the country to provide lifesaving resources and training.
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.
With a century-long legacy, the National Safety Council is a global center for safety expertise. Let's work together to align resources. We look forward to learning about ways we can join efforts to expand safety everywhere!
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